Aircraft, especially aircraft of the amphibian type and body boat structure for same



Feb. 21, 1.933. I 1. SIKORSKY I 11,898,695

AIRCRAFT, ESPECIALLY AIRCRAFT OF THE AMPHIBIAN TYPE AND BODY BOAT STRUCTURE FOR SAM Filed Dec. 30, 1929 3 sets-Sheet l A TTORNEYS.

Feb- 21, 933. l. SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT, ESPECIALLY AIRCRAFT OF THE AMPHIBIAN TYPE AND BODY BOAT STRUCTURE FOR SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30', 1929 Q MN NN MN INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 21, 1933. SIKORSKY 1,898,695

AIRCRAFT, ESPECIALLY AIRCRAFT OF THE AMPHIBIAN TYPE AND BODY BOAT STRUCTURE FOR SAME Filed Dec. 30, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented 1-35.21, 1933 Icon or smrroan,

connsorrour, Assrenoa 'ro smoasxravurzon.

ooaronarron, O! WIIIIINGTON, DELAWARE, .1 CORPORATION OF mm, ESPECIALLY AIRCRAFT 01 m AIPHIBIAK ma: AND BODY BOLT STRUCTURE FOR BARE Application fled December 80, 1989. Serial Io. 417,588.

The present invention relates to amphibian of ribs converging upwardly at points of at aircraft and particularly to details of body boat or hull structure. The purpose of the invention is to provide'a speci c rib arrangement whereby lifting and landing stresses may be distributed to the body boat outside of the localized point of attachment of the lifting and landing adjuncts. The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1' is a perspective of an amphibian.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the amphibian with parts broken away, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the amphibian with parts removed or broken away. 7

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 5 indicates the body boat or hull of the amphibian above and transversely of which extends a main plane 6. Lower wings 7 and 8 project laterally of thebody boat and are secured thereto intermediate its top and hottom. Extending rearwardly of the main plane are a pair of outriggers 9 and 10, which support an empennage assembly generally indicated at 11.

A retractible landing wheel is provided at each side of the body boat, the one at the left alone being shown and being retained at 12. The wheel 12 is mounted on an axle 13 swmgable about a horizontal axis and having sc-- cured to its free end a rod 14 provided at its upper end with a piston working in a cylinder enclosed in the fairing 15. The upper end of the cylinder is pivoted to the lower end of a rigid upright 16 which at its upper end is secured to the front spar 17, Figure 2,

of the main plane. t Fluid-is adapted to be admitted mto the cylinder at either side of the piston head see cured to red 14 to reciprocate the latter and thereby swing the wheel from operative to inoperative osition or vice versa. The ivotal connection of the cylinder with upright 16 permits the former to swing in a plane across the body boat so as to accommodate the swinging of axle 13. p

The body boat structure, so far as the present invention is concerned, comprises a series the body boat. In

Ribs 28 and 29 converge at bracket 19 and are secured thereto. Theirintermediate portions are secured to the body boat sheathing and their lower ends to futtocks 30 and 31. Longitudinally and rcarwardl spaced from bracket 19 is a bracket 32, at w ch con verge ribs 33, 34 and 35.

Immediately above bracket 18 and in connection with the latter througha framing strip 36 is an anchor bracket 37. Downwardly converging struts 38 and 39 secured at their upper ends to front-and rear spars 17 esignate attachment 1 and 40 are secured at their lower ends to it bracket 37. A strut 41 is secured at its upper end to spar 40 adjacent the point of attachment thereto of strut 39 and at its lower end to bracket 32. The point of attachment of strut '38 to spar 17 is immediately adjacent'the point of attachment thereto of upright 16. 7 Only the right hand struts 38 and 39 appear in Flgure 1.

From the above description, it will be a parent that lifting stresses of plane 6 will transmitted through struts 38, 39 and strip 36 to ribs 20, 21, 22 and 23 to be distributed over a considerable portion of the body boat and the stresses transmitted through strut 41 will 2e similarly distributed through ribs 33 and Lifting stresses of lower wing 8 will be transmitted throuighanchor brackets 18 and v cident to landing will be distributed in the manner already described.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact arrangement illustrated, but that my invention contemplates structure coming under the terms of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an amphibian, a body boat, a plane above said body boat, landing gear at one side of said body boat, a compression member connecting the landing gear with said plane, a strut attached at one end to the plane at the point of connection of said compression member and at its other end to the body boat, the body boat structure including a plurality of ribs upwardly convergent toward the end of said strut in connection with the body boat.

2. In an amphibian, a body boat, a plane above said body boat, a wing projecting laterally of the bod boat beneath said plane, a strut extending rom said plane to t e body boat to the rear of said wing, and a pair of anchor brackets for the wing spaced longitudinally of the body boat, the body boat,

structure including a set of ribs conver 'ng upwardly to each of said brackets an escured thereto, and a third set of ribs converging upwardly to the point of attachment of said strut to the body boat and a landing gear supporting member fastened to said body boat adjacent the lower portion of a convergmg r1 3. In an amphibian, a body boat, a plane above said body boat, a wing projecting laterally of the body boat beneath said plane, a strut extending from said plane to the body boat to the rear of said wing, and a pair of anchor brackets for the wing spaced longitudinally of the bod boat, struts connecting the plane with the body boat adjacent and above said brackets, the body boat structure including a set of ribs converging upwardly to each of said'brackets and secured thereto, and a third set of ribs converging upwardly t0 the point of attachment of said strut to the body boat, and a landing gear supporting member fastened to said body boat adjacent the lower portion of a converging rib.

4. In an aircraft, a hull, a plane above said 6. In an aircraft, a hull, a plane above said hull, a lower wing projecting laterally of the hull, fittings spaced longitudinally of the hull, two of the fittings adapted to serve as anchor brackets for the lower wing, a strut connecting a third fitting and the plane, a strut connecting the lane with the hull adjacent and above one 0 said fittings and means for distributing the load transmitted to the hull by said fittings.

7. In an amphibian, a hull, landing gear, a plane above said hull ada ted to support a motor and to receive an transmit shocks transmitted by the landing gear, fittings spaced longitudinally of the hull, struts connecting the fittings with the plane and means for distributing the load transmitted to the hull by said fittings.

Signed at College Point, Long Island, in the county of Queens and State of New York this 2nd day of November A. D. 1929.

IGOR SIKORSKY.

hull, a lower wing projecting laterally of said hull, a strut connecting a portion of the hull to the rear of said wing with said plane, a pair of an hor brackets for the wing spaced longitudinally of the hull, ribs converging upwardly to each of said brackets and to the point of attachment of said strut to said hull.

5. In an aircraft, a hull, a plane above said hull, a wing projecting laterally of the hull beneath said plane, fittings spaced longitudinally of said hull, struts extending from two of said fittings to the plane and the lower wing attached to a third fitting, means associated with said fittings for distributing the loads transmitted to the hull by said fittings. 

